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He grinned. “Right. I’ll keep my eye out.”
“Goodbye,” she said, then slipping her hand from his, she quickly turned and climbed into the car.
Once she’d shut the door and fastened her seat belt, she didn’t allow herself to glance at him through the window. Instead, she drove away and tried her best not to notice the lights of his truck reflecting in her rearview mirror.
Chapter Three (#ud6fd0b17-adf7-56c7-91d5-42c7deb71e50)
A week later, Marcella was nearing the close of her Friday shift in the ER when fellow nurse and friend Paige Winters walked up behind her.
“Dr. Sherman is being his usual nasty self again,” she said with a weary sigh. “Thank goodness our shift is nearly over. He can take out the rest of his sour attitude on the next crew of nurses instead of us—or me, I should say. The man has had the evil eye on me ever since I came to work in the ER. I’d give anything to slap that smirk of his right off his face.”
“Including your job?” Marcella asked as she yanked a soiled sheet from an empty bed.
“Well, no. I love my job here at Tahoe General too much to let one moody doctor ruin it.”
Marcella tossed the dirty sheet into a nearby hamper, then turned to see that the other nurse had already started fitting a clean sheet on the just-stripped mattress.
Paige was a year or two younger than Marcella, and though she was a natural redhead, like her, Paige’s shoulder-length hair was a deep wine color that contrasted vividly with her pale gray eyes. She was an extremely hardworking, dedicated nurse, and Marcella had often hoped that the other woman would find a man to love her. She deserved that much from life and more.
From the opposite side of the narrow bed, Marcella said in a hushed voice, “Dr. Sherman isn’t giving you the evil eye. He’s giving you the eye. Period.”
A fiery blush spread across Paige’s cheeks. “I am so tired of everyone hinting that Dr. Sherman has the hots for me,” she muttered. “The man is as cold as an ice cube. He wouldn’t know what to do with a woman if she fell right into his arms!”
“Nurse Winters! I need you down here! Pronto!”
The sound of Dr. Sherman’s bellow from the opposite side of the treatment room put a tight grimace on Paige’s face.
“See? He’s a jerk in a lab coat. And not nearly as good-looking as Dr. Whitehorse, who’s been giving you the eye for months now.”
The other woman hurried away, making it impossible for Marcella to deflect Paige’s remark about Dr. Whitehorse. Sure, the man was young and handsome and nice. She liked him as a friend, but he just didn’t make her heart go pitter-patter. Not the way that darned cowboy up on the Silver Horn had done.
Denver Yates. This past week she’d thought of little else. And the fact that Harry and Peter kept bringing up his name didn’t help matters at all. From the remarks they made, she could tell both of them expected to see Denver again. Preferably in the near future. And she hadn’t had the heart to burst their bubble. Neither of them would understand that enduring friendships rarely grew out of chance meetings.
You need to forget the cowboy, Marcella. He probably has a girlfriend. And even if he doesn’t, he’d hardly be interested in a mother with two kids. Wake up! A hunky man like Denver can have his pick of women. You can bet he’s already put you and your sons in the very back of his mind.
Doing her best to shove the miserable voice out of her head, she finished the last few minutes of her shift, exchanging patient information with the fresh group of nurses. By the time she’d changed clothes and headed out to the parking lot to her car, seven o’clock had turned into seven forty-five.
She was climbing into her car when she heard the cell phone inside her purse ringing. The caller was most likely her mother, she thought wearily, wondering why she hadn’t yet been by to pick up the boys. After twelve years of Marcella working long, erratic shifts as a nurse, her mother still didn’t understand her schedule would never be predictable.
After starting the car, she pulled out the phone and was surprised to see it had been Lilly Calhoun ringing, rather than her mother. Since her friend never called just to chat, Marcella decided to take a minute to return the call. If something had happened on the ranch, she wanted to know about it.
“Hi, Marcella,” Lilly answered cheerfully. “Sorry to bother you at this hour. Are you home from work yet?”
“No. I’m still in the parking lot. Is anything wrong?”
“No. Everything is great. I’ll just keep you a minute. I wanted to ask if you’re free tomorrow night. I’d like for you to come to a little dinner party I’m having.”
Marcella frowned. “Dinner party? Lilly, I was just out to the ranch last week at your Halloween party.”
“So? That was mainly for the kids. This is just for us adults.”
So that meant she’d have to tell Harry and Peter she was going to the Silver Horn without them. That would definitely cause a fuss. But on the other hand, Marcella was entitled to an evening out on her own once in a while.
“Is this some sort of special event? Someone’s birthday?” Marcella asked.
“Nothing special. There will only be a few of us. The men are getting together to talk business and Ava and I don’t want to be bored to death. You can at least entertain us with hospital news.”
“I am off tomorrow,” Marcella said thoughtfully. “And it would be nice to have some adult conversation. I’m not sure what Mom will say about watching the boys. If she’s planning on a bingo night, forget it.”
“Don’t worry. If Saundra can’t watch the boys, then bring them with you. Tessa will be keeping all the kids upstairs in the playroom. She won’t mind watching Harry and Peter, too.”
Rafe and Lilly had a young daughter and son, while Ava and Bowie’s baby boy was only a few months old. Tessa would have her hands full without adding Harry and Peter to the mix.
“I’m not sure—”
“I won’t let you refuse,” Lilly interrupted. “This is important.”
Marcella countered, “Lilly, you just said this wasn’t anything special. Are you—”
“I only meant it was important to me that you come,” she quickly explained.
Marcella absently massaged her forehead while watching a group of nurses exit the back of the building. She let out a weary sigh. “Okay, I’m too tired to argue. I’ll be there. What time?”
“Great! Make it about six thirty so we’ll have plenty of time to enjoy a cocktail before dinner. And in case you need more persuasion, Greta is cooking prime rib,” she added. “And coconut cream cake.”
Marcella chuckled. “Pure blackmail. I’ll see you tomorrow night. Right now I have to get home. Uh, who’s doing all that crying in the background?”
“Austin. He’s crying for me to take him over to the barn to see his daddy.”
“Then you’d better pull on your boots and take him and big sister, Colleen, to the barn.”
Lilly let out a good-natured groan. “Sure. Give the little man everything he wants. If Austin grows up to be a spoiled brat, I’m going to tell everyone Nurse Grayson ruined him.”
Laughing, Marcella told her friend goodbye, then ended the call.
* * *
The next evening, Denver quit work at an early hour, and after checking in with Doc Simmons about a pair of sick cows, he headed home to shower and change for the dinner party at the big ranch house.
Managing the cow/calf operation made it necessary from time to time for him to attend business meetings with the Calhouns. Especially with Orin, the father of the five Calhoun brothers, and Clancy, the eldest son and general manager of the Silver Horn. There were also occasions when issues cropped up with local ranchers and Denver needed to make an appearance at a town gathering. But parties were a different matter, and for the most part, he avoided them as much as possible. Yet for some mysterious reason, tonight Rafe had been adamant that he attend Lilly’s small dinner party.
Rafe had said he and Orin wanted to use the evening to discuss some new feed ideas. Denver didn’t believe a word of it. In the twelve years he’d been working on the Silver Horn, the feed program had remained consistently the same. The whole idea had him wondering if Lilly was giving someone a surprise party and Rafe was wanting to keep the celebration a secret. Whatever reason, Denver would have preferred to stay home and catch up on a bit of rest.
Frowning at his image in the bathroom mirror, he smeared a handful of shaving cream over his jaw and chin. Who was he trying to kid? He’d gotten home early for the past several nights. At least, seven o’clock was early for him. But he hadn’t rested or enjoyed the solitude. He’d spent most of the time cleaning the kitchen and thinking about Marcella Grayson and her two sons. And damn it all, he was still thinking about them.
You’re a fool, Denver. The world is full of pretty nurses and single mothers. It’s also full of gamin-faced boys with a penchant for asking questions. There is nothing special about the little family.
Maybe not, Denver argued with the nasty voice in his head, but there’d been something very special about the way they’d affected him. Being near Marcella, holding her hand, even for those brief moments, had reminded him what it was like to hold a woman in his arms and make love to her. And the boys—well, they’d made him remember all that he’d lost back in Wyoming.
* * *
When Marcella arrived, Tessa, the Calhouns’ young housekeeper, nanny and maid all rolled into one, met her at the door.
“Good evening, Marcella,” she greeted warmly. “It’s so nice to see you again so soon. Let me take your coat and bag. Everyone is out back on the patio having drinks.”
Marcella shrugged out of her coat and handed it and her clutch bag to the slender young woman with light brown hair and a gentle face. “Outside? Maybe I should keep my coat. It’s rather cold to be having drinks outside.”
“Orin has built a fire in the fire pit, so I imagine it feels nice and cozy.” She glanced at Marcella. “Wow! You look so pretty tonight. That emerald green dress looks gorgeous with your red hair.”
Feeling more than self-conscious, Marcella glanced down at the simple sheath dress she was wearing. Since her wardrobe was limited to mostly work or casual clothes, she didn’t own much in the way of party wear.
“Lilly didn’t say whether this was going to be a fancy dinner. But knowing her, I decided I should at least wear a dress.”
Tessa laughed as she went to hang Marcella’s coat in a nearby closet. “You know Lilly and Ava, they like to find any reason to dress up. Come along,” she invited, “and I’ll walk with you back to the patio.”
Even though Marcella wasn’t a frequent visitor to the ranch, she’d been there often enough to know her way around the massive three-story house. Yet each time she walked through the opulent rooms, it amazed her that two of her best friends had married into such a wealthy family.
As soon as the two women reached the family room and the sliding glass doors that opened onto the patio, Tessa quickly excused herself.
“I’ll leave you to join the others,” she said. “The kiddos are upstairs with their great-grandfather Bart. He’s watching them until I can take over. Uh—I thought you might be bringing Harry and Peter with you tonight. Didn’t they want to come, too?”
If there’d been a chance of them seeing Denver again, the boys would’ve jumped at the chance to make the trip out here. Otherwise, they’d been content enough to spend the night with their grandmother. “My mother is making them a special treat for dinner tonight.”
“Well, maybe next time,” she said.
The housekeeper hurried away and Marcella let herself through the glass door and onto a large rock patio partially covered by a low hanging roof. As she carefully fastened the door behind her, she heard Lilly’s voice calling to her.
“Marcella! You’re finally here!”
Turning, she found the willowy blonde standing right behind her, and Marcella quickly gave her friend a tight hug.
“Finally here,” Marcella repeated with a light laugh. “You say that like I’m the party honoree or something.”
“Well, you are important to us around here,” she said with an impish smile, then after another quick hug, she curled her arm around Marcella’s waist and urged her across the patio. “Come on and have a seat. It’ll be a while before Greta serves dinner. Want something to drink? Orin has made a pitcher of margaritas if you’d like one.”
“No. I’ll be driving home later. I’ll just have a ginger ale.”
“I’ll get it,” Lilly said. “You go on over and say hello. I’m pretty sure you know everyone here tonight.”
Marcella started toward the group of people gathered around the huge brick fire pit. Ava and Bowie were standing with their backs to the warm flames, while Clancy and his wife, Olivia, were snuggled together on a cushioned wicker love seat. Nearby Rafe, his dad, Orin, and Colley Holbrook, the manager of the horse division, were talking with a man seated with his back to Marcella.
The moment Ava spotted her approach, the tall brunette hurried over to greet her with a swift kiss on the cheek.
“Come over by the fire,” she invited with a happy smile. “Gosh, you’re looking lovely tonight. Where did you get those heels? They’re very sexy.”
Marcella chuckled. “They’re hand-me-downs from Mom. She bought them, then decided they were too risqué for her.”
“Lucky you.”
“Here’s your ginger ale,” Lilly announced as she joined the two women. She handed Marcella the glass of ginger ale. “Let’s go find a seat where it’s warm.”
As the women approached, the men all politely rose to their feet to greet Marcella.
“I think you know everyone here tonight,” Lilly said, then added teasingly, “Although it’s been so long since Clancy and Olivia have shown their faces around here, you might not recognize them. Once they built their house up on the mountain, we can hardly get them down here for dinner.”
Marcella shook hands with the ranch manager and his pretty wife, who worked in the land management division for the BLM.
“Yes, it has been a while,” she said as she shook hands with each of them. “Nice to see you again. How’s your little boy, Shane?”
“More like his grandpa Orin every day,” Clancy teased. “Growing into a real rascal.”
While Orin chuckled loudly, Olivia added, “He’s nearly three years old now and we can’t turn our backs on him, or he’ll be in the barn trying to climb on the back of a horse.”
“He and Austin are two peas in a pod,” Lilly spoke up jokingly. “When those two cousins get a little older, we’re going to have hell to pay.”
Ava put her hand on Marcella’s shoulder and turned her slightly to the left. “You have met Denver, haven’t you? He’s a lot like Clancy—you have to twist his arm to get him here for dinner.”
Denver! The man who’d been occupying her thoughts for the past week was standing right in front of her. The surprise of seeing him very nearly caused her jaw to drop, but she caught herself before that could happen and forced a cheery smile on her face.
“Uh—yes. We have met,” she said.
He extended his hand to her. “Hello, Marcella. It’s nice to see you again.”
Lilly had said this was going to be a simple gathering. What was he doing here?
Hoping she didn’t appear as caught off guard as she felt, Marcella placed her hand in Denver’s. And just like the last time, something in the bottom of her stomach flipped over. Then over again.
“Hello, Denver. How are you?”
A faint smile touched his lips, and as Marcella’s gaze zeroed in on his face, everything around her suddenly faded, except him and the feel of his big rough hand wrapped around hers.
“Fine. Thanks for asking.”
The feel of his gaze slowly meandering over her face was causing heat to pool in her cheeks. And just as she was telling herself it was time to extricate her hand from his and put an end to the strange buzzing in her head, she heard Lilly speak behind her.
“There’s Greta at the door. Let’s go in, everyone. Dinner is served.”
Denver dropped her hand and they both began to gravitate toward the back of the house with the rest of the group.
“Sounds like it’s time to enjoy Greta’s cooking,” he said. “I hope you brought your appetite.”
She’d been as hungry as a horse until she’d turned and saw him. Now her nerves were so scattered she could scarcely think about eating.
Stop it, Marcella! You’re not a teenager with a sudden crush on the cool rebel in senior class. You’re a thirty-three-year-old mother. Far too old to be getting the vapors over a sexy man.
She said, “I haven’t eaten anything since early this morning. So I’m ready to eat.”
“Did Peter and Harry come with you this evening?”
